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The Best Cities for Conferences in 2018

The calendar might still say 2018, but meeting professionals know it’s time to start planning for 2019 events. One of the biggest decisions always lies in where to host destination conferences. The best way to help narrow down a city? Take inspiration from the best of 2018.

According to the most recent data from forecasting company Oxford Economics, there are 1.9 million conventions, trade shows and meetings in the U.S. each year with a total of 251 million attendees. To rank the best cities for conferences, SmartAsset looked at data for the 46 largest cities in America. Specifically, the data focused on hotels, hotel costs, meal costs, airports, crime and restaurant and entertainment establishments.

San Antonio tops the ranks once again as the best city in America for conferences. This is its fourth year in a row as the number one destination due to its abundance of hotels, dining and entertainment options – all at a reasonable price.

New to the top 10 is Portland, the Pacific Northwest’s lone representative on this list. What Portland lacks in conference venues, it makes up for in the quality of the experience. This city is one of the safest and most fun of the study, known for its vibrant beer scene and variety of dining establishments.

The PCMA Education Foundation Leadership Committee has elected its 2019 Board of Trustees. Officers and trustees will take office immediately following PCMA’s annual meeting at the 63rd Convening Leaders in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in January 2019.

Convening Leaders 2019 will take place Jan. 6 - 9 in the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

This is the fourth year in a row that I’ve helped with the Colorado Governor’s Tourism Conference and the 12th that I’ve attended. Nothing beats meeting face-to face, seeing friends and colleagues from around the state and beyond, and experiencing great Colorado destinations like Vail.

Karamo Brown, television host of the Emmy-nominated Netflix series “Queer Eye” and cultural expert, will speak at Convening Leaders 2019, taking place from January 6-9. His session, “Know Thyself: Using Your Uniqueness to Create Success” is part of the Convening Leaders “Disrupt & Deliver” program. Brown will share how he achieves success by embracing and utilizing the strengths of his role as an openly gay, black, psychotherapist and single father.